Since 2002 I had closely followed the actions of women throughout the war and it quickly became apparent that women were doing things they had never done before. Women like Kayla were successfully serving as imbedded members of combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan. They were being used in ways that clearly violated the intent of the combat exclusion policy. Kayla Williams is a former sergeant and Arabic linguist in a Military Intelligence company of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Ellen Haring is a colonel in the US Army reserves. She is a senior fellow with Women in International Security where she directs the Combat Integration Initiative project.